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Eating needs an overhaul.
- Aug 4, 2009 at 7:41 PM
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- Comments (97) Total Views (2380) Everyone can see this journal post.
This is a vent. A big angry vent and if you don't like it, well tough cookies (no pun intended) because I'm ticked off right now.
I did my grocery shopping today (I shop once a month) and my bill was astronomical. More so even than usual. And I'm just so TIRED OF IT. I'm tired of being punished for feeding my family healthy, wholesome foods that make their bodies feel good. I'm tired of being punished for not serving up my child a dead body on a bun with a side of creepy smiling clown. I'm just plain tired of it all together. Every month I sit down with my grocery receipt from the month before, looking for places where I could potentially cut corners. I make a list for each grocery trip and I don't stray from that list or impulse buy. I don't buy junk food or soda or really any foods that we don't NEED. To save money (and avoid additives) my family makes as much as possible from scratch, even things like our bread and cereals. I try to buy the cheapest brands available, but unfortunately when you eat vegan and organic foods, the store brand items are often out of the question.
So I do all of this and yet still I'm literally wincing when I see the total that the cashier rings up. And I have to say that every month it smarts a little more with the knowledge that Joe Blow down the street fed his entire family dinner at McDonalds for $8. Or that the lady in the check-out line across from me just spent about $100 less than I did to feed her kids Twinkies and Pixie Stix for snacks instead of apples and carrots. It just plain pisses me off, to tell you the truth. When is this ass-backwards country going to wake up and realize that the first step to "health care reform" should making healthy foods available to EVERYONE? And by that I mean AFFORDABLE. I really doubt that the FDA could deny that the foods we put into our bodies affect our health in a BIG way (although I'm sure they would try). So that's MY version of health care reform I suppose. Stop poisoning our citizens and punishing those who want to live healthy lives by making them drop their entire paychecks at the grocery store. I know that will probably never happen, what with all the money that Big Pharma would probably lose on medications for things like diabetes and high blood pressure and the like. But I can dream I guess. Or be pissed off about it in the meantime at least.
Comments:
afuckingreed! why the hell does a gallon of non hormone crap free antiobiotic milk cost less than straight from the cow milk? and why do people think it is OK to give their kids Kool-Aid? And why is Kool-Aid cheaper than orange juice? AHHHHHHH!
i hear ya my grocery bill was 304$ this week.
KWYM... it majorly sucks- this reversal of priority.
I try not to even hear the total...I go lalalalalala in my head. Makes it easier. They should charge less for the healthy stuff and double the price of Doritos, Cheetos and Oreos.
I agree, but we eat lots of "crap" as you say it, to save money. We eat meat, but I'd like to know why the 98% fat free turkey dogs are 4 dollars and the cheapo hot dogs that are HORRIBLE for you are like 98 cents a pack? Why is fresh fruit so expensive? I'm pregnant with gallstones, had to totally revamp my diet less than a week after my monthly grocery sojourn, and cannot eat ANY of the food I normally buy because I'm on a extremely low fat and carb diet, very bland, to avoid gallstone attacks. My husband is not wanting to eat what I normally fix him because "if you can't eat tasty stuff, it's not fair of me to" and at 11 days to go, I've drooped 7 lbs in the last month (says a great thing for cutting out cookies, candy, soda and fast food, huh?). Luckily the kiddo is fine, but we're broke from my having to check EVERY label instead of eating spaghetti or burgers (even the rarest lean beef sets me off, so no beef for me) or what not with my family.
I feel your pain! I have started buying healthier foods for about 1 1/2 years and have seen the rising costs and my grocery bill go through the roof. I want to buy fruit and veggies and not junk. I did that for too long and we all went through our "fat" stage. But no more. I've been working on my vegan week menu and I'll admit I'm scared at how much I will need to spend but I promised and I don't think it will be too difficult but damn I worry about the expense.
I totally agree I wish that healthy food was less expensive .
I know what you are talking about. Hemp milk is $4.49. Per carton. Per SMALL , less than half gallon carton I might add. My kid can drink 5 of those cartons in a WEEK. BY HERSELF. Why does a 4 ounce chunk of vegan cheddar cost $8? Why does seitan cost as much as 6 bags of chips? I am in 100% agreement for you, jack up the prices on the SHITTY FOOD and make the good for you stuff reasonable and affordable. That will never happen though because people would piss and moan and groan and complain.
Jack up the prices of fatty , salt laden , fast conveniance foods, and make fast food places pay a tax to serve unhelathy shit, then turn the extra money from the shitty food price hikes and for the fast food tax over to health education programs , food education and responsible weight management programs, that teach protion control , balanced healthy food choices and excercise as the right way to get control of your health. Its a lovely thought , but will never happen , because like you said , unhealthy people make money for pharmaceuducal companies , doctors and hospitals. Cant take away from the money theiving juggernauts , now can we?
not sure what it's like where you live but this is a useful trick, people do it all the time around here because farms and lush gardens are everywhere, but stop by someones house who has a garden (not alone of course) and offer to buy some vegetables from them. my husbands grandfather used to make extra money that way. it's cheaper and it's better for the environment because it is all local. you'd be amazed at how much you'll save.
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Meet Dodie702
This Nevada mom of two - who are just 18 months apart! - is married to her high school sweetheart and loves to craft in her free time.
Vent away, sistah...
Healthy people are not profitable, didn't you know?
- ivansmom07
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